The UNLV Wind Orchestra has received international acclaim for its fresh and creative approach to music making. Performing contemporary repertoire in addition to classical masterworks, the Wind Orchestra at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been responsible for commissioning and premiering numerous significant new works by America’s finest young contemporary composers. The ensemble is comprised of music majors, non-majors, and includes select graduate students enrolled in the masters and doctoral performance degree programs at UNLV. Under the baton of Professor Thomas G. Leslie, the Wind Orchestra has received acclaim for outstanding performances at conventions across the globe. They have also received outstanding reviews for twenty professional recordings of international repute. The cornerstone of this album- and the piece from where the album’s title comes- is Morton Gould’s Festive Music, penned in 1964 by the Tri-City Symphony Orchestra of Illinois. In 1991 Mark Jirousek transcribed the work for wind band- the arrangement heard on this release. This work is paired with other remarkable wind band pieces by composers Malcolm Arnold, Howard Hanson, Julian Tanaka, and Jean Francaix.